BEVERLY, Mass. -- A Massachusetts couple is defending the large pole-mounted solar array in their front yard after it was dubbed the Solar Monster by a local councilman.
Beverly residents who live near the 20-panel array have complained about its size and the noise it makes: The panels are based on a hydraulic structure that enables the panels to slowly turn and follow the sun, reports CBS Boston. Steel Pipe Clamp
But homeowners Lola and Richard Eanes compare the panels to other neighborly nuisances, like loud air conditioning units. The couple tells the Salem News the array saves them money on their electricity bills, and they have no intention of getting rid of it.
"We believe in going green," Lola Eanes told CBS Boston. She and her husband installed the array about a year ago.
Councilor Don Martin compared the array to Fenway Park's Green Monster. He says neighbors should have been notified before it was built.
The city is considering regulating the placement of ground-mounted solar arrays.
"It's just is an eyesore, and it upset the neighbors," Connie Servizio, one of those neighbors, remarked to CBS Boston.
"I hate looking at it. It's totally unfit for a residential neighborhood," Ted Downing, who lives two houses down from the panels, told the station. Downing sees the structure every time he and his wife go out on their deck, and Servizio lives right next door, and feels the panels are right in her face.
They're both worried about property values. "Somebody wants to buy this and they see that, it kind of turns them off," Connie says.
"I don't think this is bad looking," Lola Eanes countered. "I think it doesn't look any different than solar panels on anybody else's roof. They're just on a pole," she insists says.
First published on December 11, 2017 / 7:41 AM
© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
4 Inch Pipe Clamp Copyright ©2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved.